A Massachusetts bodega worker accused of molesting a mentally disabled teenager uprooted his life and moved to Queens to avoid facing justice, police sources said.
Police on Thursday caught up with Sachin Patel, 24, arresting him in a basement apartment he shares with his wife, who is four-months pregnant, sources said.
Patel, who worked at the One Stop Convenience store in Revere, Mass., led a 17-year-old girl into the back of the store and molested her on Dec. 14, police said.
COPS CUFF BROOKLYN MAN SUSPECTED OF EXPOSING HIMSELF TO PRE-TEENS DURING KIDNAPPING ATTEMPT
The girl, who speaks normally but has a learning disability, would often buy candy at the store on her way to school, said Revere Sgt. Joseph Covino.
After the alleged assault, the girl went to school and reported the attack. When her father found out, he was enraged and showed up at the store, demanding to talk to the staff before police were able to calm him down, Covino said.
Revere cops applied for a warrant, but Patel skipped town and moved to Queens, sources said, adding that members of the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task caught him in his Richmond Hill apartment.
He is being held without bail and awaits extradition.
Covino said Patel will be charged with indecent assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability and on a person 14 years of age or older.
The store’s owner, Raj Patel — the suspect’s brother-in-law — said the incident was caught on video, and he helped police with their investigation.
“I feel bad. I was shocked,” Raj Patel said.
